Smithsonian Folklife Festival is hiring: Overhire Scenic Artist in Washington

OVERHIRE LIST – Contract basis

The Smithsonian Folklife Festival, founded in 1967, is an international exposition of living cultural heritage annually produced outdoors on the National Mall, taking place for two weeks every summer drawing hundreds of thousands of visitors.

It is an educational presentation that features musicians, artists, performers, craftspeople, workers, cooks, storytellers, and others from states, regions, and nations around the world.

For the 2025 Festival, we will create custom-built structures, stages, scenery, and other infrastructural projects in our 17,000 square foot shop to be installed on the National Mall in support of the “Looking Forward” program which will include living cultural traditions, crafts and trades demonstrations, food, fashion, music, performance, dance, storytelling, and more.

We typically hire overhire contractors to carry out a variety of carpentry, welding, electrical power distribution, logistics, and heavy equipment operation, and specialty jobs on an as-needed basis throughout the summer in May, June, and July (there may be additional opportunities throughout the year) based on our needs as outlined in the production schedule.

Please email Tyler Nelson at NelsonTL@si.edu for more information.